The department must contact the issuing official and may have to suspend a resident’s driver’s license and vehicle registrations, but not in certain insurer-failure cases.
Sec. 601.009. REPORT FROM OTHER STATE OR CANADA. (a) On receipt of a certification by the department that the operating privilege of a resident of this state has been suspended or revoked in another state or a province of Canada under a financial responsibility law, the department shall contact the official who issued the certification to request information relating to the specific nature of the resident's failure to comply. (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the department shall suspend the resident's driver's license and vehicle registrations if the evidence shows that the resident's operating privilege was suspended in the other state or the province for violation of a financial responsibility law under circumstances that would require the department to suspend a nonresident's operating privilege had the collision occurred in this state. (c) The department may not suspend the resident's driver's license and registration if the alleged failure to comply is based on the failure of the resident's insurance company or surety company to: (1) obtain authorization to write motor vehicle liability insurance in the other state or the province; or (2) execute a power of attorney directing the appropriate official in the other state or the province to accept on the company's behalf service of notice or process in an action under the policy arising out of a collision. (d) Suspension of a driver's license and vehicle registrations under this section continues until the resident furnishes evidence of compliance with the financial responsibility law of the other state or the province. (e) In this section, "financial responsibility law" means a law authorizing suspension or revocation of an operating privilege for failure to: (1) deposit security for the payment of a judgment; (2) satisfy a judgment; or (3) file evidence of financial responsibility. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by: Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 709 (H.B. 2190), Sec. 65, eff. September 1, 2023. SUBCHAPTER B. ADMINISTRATION BY DEPARTMENT